


Crossed Lines

by Patrice1599



Series: Lavender Fields [3]
Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: F/M, Finally, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27154066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patrice1599/pseuds/Patrice1599
Summary: Hopefully this ties up this little story with a neat bow :)Part 4 of the Lavender Fields SeriesSet Post Troubled Blood
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Series: Lavender Fields [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980127
Comments: 9
Kudos: 37





	Crossed Lines

Strike had spent much of his morning typing and dismissing a series of texts to Robin, and was still deep in contemplation when he heard familiar footsteps climbing the staircase to the office. He sat up, quickly smoothing his hair and tidying his desk nervously as Robin called out. 

“Hiya,” she said brightly, and he could hear her rustling through a stack of papers on Pat’s desk.

“I thought you were taking the day off,” he said from the doorway, more fiercely than he intended. 

Robin looked up in surprise. “I’m just grabbing something I left behind, if that’s okay with you,” she said shortly. 

This is not how I imagined this morning would go, he thought to himself, watching her move about the office. She was wearing a blue sweater and a simple skirt but to him at this moment, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. 

“That’s fine,” he said with a crooked smile, rubbing his hand sheepishly through his unruly hair. 

He was acting so strangely she thought, and she was again possessed by the feeling that he could see right through her. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, attempting nonchalance and missing it by a wide margin. Robin groaned slightly as she bustled around the office, lifting stacks of paper and files. 

“Oh god, you think I would’ve learned my lesson the last time I drank the world, but alas here we are,” she said, picking up the missing envelope with a quiet “Aha” and putting it in her bag. She looked up to see Cormoran still leaning in the doorway, watching her intently. 

She felt self-conscious at the way he was looking at her, and said quickly “Thank you again Cormoran for last night.”

“You’re very welcome,” he said quietly, slowly stepping toward her. “It was wonderful,” she said “what I remember of it at least.” 

Cormoran stopped in his tracks. “You don’t remember anything?” he said, the atmosphere in the room suddenly tense. 

“Well I remember the champagne, and bits of the pub but everything after that is pretty blurry,” she shrugged, a flush coming to her face unbidden as she remembered the unmentioned dream. 

Cormoran felt his mood drop suddenly. Clearly, Robin had decided that ignoring the previous evening was the prudent course of action. He couldn’t blame her and decided in that moment that he would follow her lead, despite his disappointment. 

“Well I’m off,” she said in an attempt to cover the uncomfortable moment between them. “Dinner is at 7, do you still think you’ll be able to come?” she said hopefully. 

He decided that an intimate birthday dinner with friends definitely crossed the lines that she was clearly trying to reestablish between them. 

“Ah I completely forgot Robin. I have to meet with a potential new client,” he lied smoothly. “I’m sorry to miss it.” 

“No worries then,” she said brightly. Robin knew full well that he was not meeting with a new client. 

“I’ll see you Monday. Have a good night,” he said with a tight smile, turning on his heel and closing the office door behind him. The smart suit he had worn the night before hung on the back, ready for the dry cleaner. 

She was shocked and hurt, and stood for a moment contemplating what she might have said or done the night before to account for this sudden change. Robin hated the thought of something coming between them. She was standing frozen directly in front of the door, her hand reaching out for the handle when she noticed a bit of mud and debris on Strike’s suit jacket. She leaned in instinctively to investigate and was immediately struck by the strong scent of her new perfume. It smelled as though she had been wearing it instead.

She reached up, running her fingers across the lapel, her dream coming unbidden into her mind. She was trying to recall the details, standing with one hand on the jacket when the office door opened abruptly and she was met face to face with the man in question. 

Strike startled at the unexpected scene in his doorway. “Robin? What are you doing?” 

“Did I? Did we?” she murmured, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

“Did we what?” he asked confused, reaching up to put one hand gently on her arm. 

“I...I thought...oh god nevermind, it was nothing, just a dream…” she said, blushing scarlet, as she realized what she’d said. She shook off his hand as though she had been burned. “I’ve got to go,” she said, grabbing her bag and racing toward the door. 

Despite his many years as a detective, it took Strike a few moments to put two and two together, by which time Robin was gone. 

He grabbed his jacket from the hook, threw open the door and collided into Robin who was still standing on the sun striped landing, tears dripping down her face. He steadied them both, and as she looked up at him with surprise, he leaned down and simply kissed her. After a moment, they broke apart, Strike watching her reaction intently.

“Not a dream then?” she said incredulously. 

“Not a dream,” he agreed happily, and pulled her close.

**Author's Note:**

> I've written a very smutty follow up that I'm debating on posting. Smutty is very much outside my wheel house but like this story, it was just begging to be written.


End file.
